Synopsis

Polish artist Wilhelm Sasnal is one of the most important painters of his generation whose work sits comfortably at the forefront of the international art scene. His first feature-length film is an adaptation of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale of the same name, but the story is unrecognizable so don’t expect any HCA enchanted kingdoms and princes. Shot in black and white, the cinematography is visually arresting with beautiful lingering close-ups and expansive landscapes. The opening shot of the frenzied spinning movie camera suggests his filmmaking as extended brushstrokes. This is Sasnal’s Swineherd - an elliptical unsettling fable imparting a moral lesson on political realities where the Nazi and Fascist depraved grip over Poland should never be forgotten.